American West

There are several themes to explore in this topic:

The Plains Indians
Their lifestyle and culture, including:

The Settlement of The West

Mountain men and fur trappers
Early Pioneers going to Oregon and California
Gold prospectors and miners
Mormons
Homesteaders
Cattlemen and cowboys

Law and Order
Why was the West 'Wild'?

vigilantes in mining towns and frontier towns
corrupt lawmen
bank robbers, gunfighters and outlaws
conflict between cattlemen and homesteaders - the Johnson County War

Conflict on the Plains

Early wars in the 1850s and 1860s
The reservation system and broken treaties
General Custer and The Battle of the Little Big Horn
The role of chiefs like Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse
Why the Indians lost the Plains - Wounded Knee